ICTs in TVET

TVET is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the world of work to increase opportunities for productive work, sustainable livelihoods, personal empowerment and socio-economic development for both women and men, in both urban and rural communities. A quality TVET programme plays an essential role in promoting a country’s economic growth and contributing to poverty reduction as well as ensuring the social and economical inclusion of marginalized communities. UNESCO views TVET as the master key to poverty alleviation and social cohesion and as central to the promotion of sustainable development.

ICTs are one of the key tools in the provision of TVET. But there are even further implications. Around the world, gaining employment increasingly depends on a person’s ability to effectively and efficiently use ICTs. ICTs also simplify and accelerate information and knowledge sharing about TVET, so that best practices and lessons learned can easily be disseminated. ICTs facilitate the administration of education and training, the provision of learning content, and communication between learners and between teachers and learners.

From the very foundation IITE has accumulated a huge experience in the field of using ICTs in TVET acting in the framework of UNESCO major normative instruments on TVET. Having launched the Information and Communication Technologies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training project in 2001 the Institute gained some significant achievements (please see Activities).

IITE views its specific role in the area in overall monitoring of ICTs in TVET impact throughout the Member States which is going to include policy research of state-of-the-art, prospects, preparation of guidelines on ICT usage in TVET and policy recommendations, teacher training and raising teacher competence based on researches already done, new research methodology elaborated and evaluation of UNESCO normative rules and directives incorporated into the TVET policy. The goal IITE sets in the context of ICT use in TVET is to overview the existing international experience in the field, to determine the most important issues and outline strategic directions of the policy development creating step by step an international expert network. The Institute is intended to focus on the most relevant and global aspects of ICT use in TVET by reviewing national policy, assisting in educational curriculum modernization, assessing the results of programs earlier introduced by all UNESCO divisions. At the same time special consideration is going to be given and individual and innovative approach is going to be invented regarding specifics of using ICTs for technical and vocational education and training of excluded and most vulnerable groups as well as people with disabilities. Furthermore IITE plans that policy research carried out and recommendations made will contribute to the development of appropriate and modern training programs aimed at raising ICT-competence and developing professional skills of teachers with a global recognition.